House Republican leadership plans to move forward with another stopgap spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, in a move sure to draw additional criticism from Democrats.
Rep. Darrell Issa said he supports a three-week clean continuing resolution for DHS funding, and he suggested that's the plan leaders will move forward with. Issa said Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, proposed such a plan to the conference during a special meeting Thursday afternoon.
Entering the meeting, House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., told reporters the three-week CR is the most likely next step for the House in response to word from the Senate it is moving forward with a clean DHS spending bill for the balance of the fiscal year.
"Leadership will let us know where they would like us to go on the Appropriations Committee. We will be prepared to act when we get the request," Rogers said, pointing out a logistical problem with a shorter duration bill given the House has a scheduled March recess.
"If we go two weeks, the Congress is out of session," he said. "We're prepared to act and we'll do as leadership requests."
Asked about the prospects of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acting on the lawsuit originating out of Texas while the stopgap spending bill is in effect, Rogers said he hoped the appeals court would move "forthwith."
"That really is the solution, I think, to this because it's really a constitutional question that we're dealing with, whether or not the president went beyond his authority under the Constitution," Rogers told reporters of the case brought by 26 states that seeks to halt President Barack Obama's recent executive actions on immigration. "But of course, that's a court matter."
One theory is if the New Orleans-based appeals court rules in favor of the 26 states, it could provide significant additional breathing space for passing the full DHS spending bill.
Related:
Boehner's Kiss for DHS Luck?
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